>> Friday, September 18, 2015

Sometimes you just need comfort food. Yesterday was surely the day for me. Bonus points if it takes only minutes to come together. I haven’t made stuffed shells in ages, so I dug up my old favorite recipe and got to work. This is a great meal to make with little ones (easy stuffing!) and bakes up in just half an hour.

Also, random question: Have you guys seen whole wheat, sprouted, or otherwise “healthier” jumbo shells? I performed a rather thorough search of Wegmans and only found the standard type.

STUFFED SHELLS w/ GREENS

What you’ll need . . .

1 package jumbo shells

15 ounces ricotta cheese, part-skim

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 handfuls baby kale, baby spinach, or mix

1 jar (24 ounce) your favorite tomato sauce

Bunch fresh basil

Garlic powder

Ground pepper

Handful mozzarella

Sprinkles Parmesan

Method . . .

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F*.

Cook shells in boiling water for 9 minutes and drain (will be al dente). Let cool a bit while you mix the filling.

Chop the greens and basil considerably. Then combine them with the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan (no need to measure the cheeses carefully -- add more if you wish), and a dash of garlic powder + pepper.

Pour half the tomato sauce on a greased 9x13 pan. I used glass.

Stuff shells with filling. Then line them up next to one another until your pan is full. I always have some shells leftover. Ada likes them plain, so I just save in a baggie to re-heat.

Then cover with the rest of the tomato sauce, sprinkle on some more mozzarella + Parmesan, and cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes. Then take the cover off and broil for a couple minutes until browned. Let cool a while before serving.

* Alternatively, you can prepare this meal in advance, cover + place in your fridge, and bake whenever you’re ready to eat. That’s another reason I love this meal so much.

// GIVEAWAY WINNER

Congrats to Katrina, the Magformers giveaway winner. Katrina says "My little guy plays with them at the library. We would build a school because he loves playing school.” I’ll be in touch with you soon regarding your prize.